Delhi’s Mayor has firmly opposed a proposal to collect user charges from residents for waste management, saying the city must first improve its basic garbage collection system.
In a letter to the state leadership, the Mayor argued that it is unfair to charge people for a service that does not yet function efficiently across the national capital. This move comes amid growing public concern over Delhi’s poor waste infrastructure, especially in several residential and low-income neighbourhoods that continue to struggle with uncollected garbage, overflowing bins, and poor segregation of waste. The Mayor said the first step should be fixing these basic services and ensuring consistent, door-to-door collection before asking citizens to pay extra fees. Officials inside the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) confirmed that while a proposal was discussed to link solid waste management fees with property taxes, it was not formally passed or implemented. According to civic insiders, some top officials had attempted to move forward with the plan without full House approval, drawing sharp criticism from elected representatives.
Opposition leaders have accused the ruling city government of trying to quietly introduce waste user charges without a public debate or policy clarity. Critics pointed to an earlier attempt in 2021 under a different administration, which was later scrapped due to political resistance and public backlash. They say the new push appears to repeat the same mistakes — adding financial pressure on households without offering visible improvements in waste management. Waste experts say this disagreement highlights a bigger problem in Delhi: the need for serious investment in green infrastructure. Environmental engineers and urban planners argue that the city needs a comprehensive approach, including better segregation of dry and wet waste, decentralised composting, and recycling stations within neighbourhoods. Without these systems in place, simply collecting fees from residents will not improve conditions or reduce the large waste piles in many parts of Delhi.
According to one senior environmental researcher, efforts should focus first on building reliable collection routes, hiring trained sanitation workers, and raising public awareness about household waste practices. Charging user fees may only be justified once residents can see that their money is leading to cleaner streets and healthier neighbourhoods. Delhi currently generates more than 11,000 metric tonnes of waste every day, much of which ends up in landfills with little processing. Local governments have repeatedly promised to modernise the waste system, but progress has been slow and uneven across the city. With growing urbanisation and population pressure, the need for smart, sustainable, and equitable waste solutions is more urgent than ever.
The debate is now shifting from political blame to policy design. Civic officials have indicated that they will revisit the proposal only after conducting a full review of service gaps and involving citizens in the discussion. Meanwhile, public demand for a cleaner, greener, and more liveable Delhi continues to rise with or without added charges.
Delhi Mayor says no waste fees until better garbage service begins
